


What Little Boys Are Made Of

by Ysabetwordsmith



Series: Love Is For Children [22]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Blacksmithing, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Competency, Crafts, Creation, Creativity, Friendship, Gen, Gentleness, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Masters, Rebellion, Tony Stark's Misspent Youth, Trust, Trust Issues, apprentices
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 22:32:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13691193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ysabetwordsmith/pseuds/Ysabetwordsmith
Summary: According to canon, Tony Stark is a blacksmith. This is how that happened.





	1. What Are Little Boys Made Of?

**Author's Note:**

> I chose not to use the warning checkboxes this time because the story makes brief reference to underage drinking, sex, and other foolishness that don't happen onscreen, which puts it in a gray area.
> 
> This story fills the "meet the parents / family" square in [my 1-4-16 card](http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/10450709.html) for the Trope Bingo fest. It was posted on Dreamwidth some time ago, and I found time to add it here.
> 
> A note on feedback: While it's not necessary to comment on every post I make, remember that I don't know who reads/likes things if nobody says anything. Particularly on long stories, I've discovered that I get antsy if there's nothing but crickets chirping for several posts. So it helps to give me feedback at least once, even if it's just "I like this" or "This one doesn't grab me." First and last episodes are ideal if you rarely feel inspired to comment in the middle.
> 
> I also have a list of [favorite photogenic scenes](http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/9313791.html) from the whole series for fanartists to consider, partly compiled from audience requests.
> 
> Read [Part 1](http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/10515471.html), [Part 2](http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/10515783.html), [Part 3](http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/10515968.html), [Part 4](http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/10516243.html) on Dreamwidth.

**[September 15, 1973]**

Tony knows that Daddy is important. Daddy is always busy. He meets with other important people all the time. Tony knows that children should be seen and not heard. He knows that he should mind his nanny. But all he really cares about is sneaking in to see Daddy.

It never works. Daddy catches him and makes the mad face. Then Tony just gets handed back to the nanny.  
Tony clenches his little jaw. He'll find a way to _make_ Daddy pay attention.

* * *

**[May 10, 1975]**

When Tony is four, he builds his first circuit board. It's not a very good circuit board. The lines wibble and wobble in places. Tony can _see_ it all in his head, just right. But his hands are still too small to hold the heavy tools. So he gets tired and his arms shake. Then things come out not quite perfect, not the way they look in his head.

Tony's circuit board works anyway.

Grinning, he clutches it in his hands and runs to find Daddy. There is a meeting. There is always a meeting. Tony knows by now that nobody will open the door for him. Instead he hides around a corner and waits. When a secretary comes with more coffee, he darts into the room behind her. Then Tony shows off how his circuit board lights up.

Daddy files it in the circular file. Then he yells for the nanny.

"What are little boys made of? Snips and snails and puppy dog tails, that's what little boys are made of," says the nanny. She tries to cheer Tony up.

Tony will cheer up when Daddy is proud of him.

* * *

**[May 10, 1977]**

The workshop smells of grease and hot metal and other things. Tony doesn't care. He loves the workshop anyway. Technically, it is Daddy's workshop. Tony still feels like it is a little bit his. Daddy lets him use it too, as long as Tony doesn't make a nuisance of himself.

There is an engine inside Tony's head. Not a great big ship engine or a roaring car engine. It's a tiny little thing, no bigger than Tony's hand. He's learned not to try making things that are too big or using tools that are too heavy. So instead he dreams of ways to make things very small.

It's hard to cut the pieces just right. It's harder to solder them all together. Sometimes Tony's grip slips and he burns himself on the hot soldering iron. He doesn't cry. He already knows better than that. Stark men are made of iron.

In the end, though, Tony gets the engine out of his head and into his hand. He turns it on. It whirrs, a faint tinny sound like the red-and-gold pinwheel that Mr. Jarvis had given him for memorizing the times tables. Tony carries the engine over to where Daddy is working on one for a jet.

"What's that? Is that thing actually _running?"_ Daddy asks, bending down to look at Tony's engine. "Well, what do you know. That's actually not a total waste of materials this time." He ruffles Tony's hair, then goes back to work.

Tony's heart glows like the sun.

It lasts for a good ten minutes. Then Daddy hits a glitch in his own project, and punches the part he's been welding, and yells a bunch of bad words. He stomps over to the cabinet with all the booze in it and takes out a bottle. "You're done for the day," he tells Tony. "Get lost."

* * *

**[September, 1985]**  
  
Not even Howard Stark's money can bribe boarding schools to put up with Tony forever. As a teenager he is too smart, too fast, too unruly ... too _Tony._ Desperate to keep the boy productively engaged, and out of his own hair, Howard cashes in a favor with a former classmate of his who now works as an admissions officer.

Tony enters the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at fourteen. He is, insofar as he can tell, the shortest freshman on campus. Also the youngest. Also the richest. Also the smartest. In fact, Tony is the smartest _person_ on campus, including all of the professors, which point endears him to precisely zero of them.  
  
Tony Stark in four words: short, young, rich, smart. He's not really satisfied with that description, so he goes to work changing it. Quick to capitalize on his assets, he uses his cash and his wits to compensate for his size and his age. It does not take him very long to cut a swath through the beer parties and bedrooms of MIT.

It doesn't take him much longer to get bored of doing nothing but that. So he goes back to paying some attention in his classes, despite having read all the textbooks in the first week _and_ having finished all the homework that the professors would let him do so soon. They won't let him build anything _real._ Tony, who has been building things since he was four, gets bored again.

He practices his computer skills by hacking the MIT computers. Then he uses that access to let himself into the labs and the workshops. It's not like he needs supervisors or assistants. Well, okay, _one_ assistant would be nice if anyone could keep up with Tony, but they can't, so oh well. He'll do it himself, just like always.

That keeps Tony occupied for all of two weeks before he gets tired of it. He's done all of his homework, again. He's popped his cherry, front and back, with girls _and_ boys. He's tried thirteen new flavors of alcohol. His current favorite is Blue Curaçao for its eerie, beautiful color. None of this holds his interest for very long. He's bored, again.

So Tony returns to one of his oldest hobbies, trying to get his father's attention. He rewires the elevators in the Green Building and makes them play turbolift sound effects from _Star Trek_. He goes stage-diving at metal shows at the Channel. He picks fights across a chess board at Harvard Square. He puts a missile on top of the Great Dome which, when people try to remove it, explodes in a shower of red confetti.

Ironically, none of these do the trick. Instead Tony's metallurgy professor wanders into the lab at 2:46 A.M. and catches him red-handed. At precisely 8 A.M. this leads to a furious call from the professor to Howard, and at 8:49, a furious call from Howard to Tony. Accordingly to Tony's stopwatch and journal, the following 33 minutes, 27 seconds of paternal ire constitute the most attention Howard has paid to him this calendar year. Tony makes a note.

Mission accomplished.

Tony goes back to dallying with classmates, booze, and homework. It's too easy, but it's something to do.

* * *

**[June 10, 1987]**

Earning his undergraduate degree leaves Tony at loose ends. He'll go back, of course, for graduate work; but that doesn't help _right now_. His father won't give him a job at Stark Industries, because Tony is still only seventeen, no matter what Tony says in hopes of convincing Howard to let him try. That argument blows up into a spectacular fight.

Well _fine_ then. If Howard won't hire him, then Tony will just go find work somewhere else. Somewhere maximally embarrassing else, if at all possible. Maybe he'll go to Nevada and work in a whorehouse. No, there's the age issue again; his fake ID is the best money can buy but it might not stand up to _sustained_ examination. Something menial, then, where Tony can waste his potential and preferably get filthy in the process.

He means to start asking around the janitors and garbagemen, but doesn't get to it immediately. Then he sees a flyer for Museum Village in Monroe, New York. Tony hasn't been there since a field trip in grade school, but he fondly remembers the wagon shop with its whirring lathe turning out wheel spokes, and the lecture about how a lathe is one of the few tools that can make a copy of itself. He'd even made one, after he got home.

So Tony hops into one of his sportscars and drives to Monroe. He wanders around the site, doggedly trying to follow his memory instead of resorting to a map. There is the broom maker, and the livery, and the school house. Tony loses half an hour in the candle shop, poring over the exhibit on lighting devices from oil lamps to light bulbs. He nearly gets kicked out for correcting an error on one of the cards. A little fast talking convinces the chandler that leaving the shop, and not the whole village, will suffice.

And there's the wagon shop, right next door. The "out to lunch" sign on the window makes Tony grumble. He scuffs his polished shoe in the dust. He hates waiting.  
  
Tony twiddles with the Brass Rat on his finger. The class ring is new enough that it doesn't feel familiar yet, doesn't feel comfortable. He's proud of it, really he is, but he can't stop fidgeting. He'll get used to it eventually. He hopes. Tony looks around for something to distract himself.

A bright chime reaches his ears, like a bell, or an alarm, only not as urgent. High and sweet, its rhythm sings out from the next building. Curious, Tony drifts closer.

It is the blacksmith's shop. The building is made of brown and gray stones, its windows framed in red wood to match the roof. The big red doors stand wide open. The broad path leading up to them seems to pull at his feet.

Inside, the smithy is dim, lit only by the sunlight falling through the narrow windows and the wide doors, and the fierce volcanic glow of the forge. It is that which draws Tony further inward, like a moth captivated by the flame. A bed of coals shimmers red in the stone forge, whose mouth bristles with iron rods.

The blacksmith himself is a vast bear of a man, tall and broad, with black hair dense over his swarthy skin. He wears a heavy leather apron over brown trousers, and his unbleached shirt sports a pin with a horseshoe points-down over the word _Master._ His arms are thicker than Tony's _thighs,_ and the muscles stand out in hard curves. Sweat rains from him as he swings a hammer bigger than Tony's two fists together, ringing against a curved plate of metal held over the anvil.

"What are you making?" Tony asks, his eyes wide.

"A stove," says the blacksmith.

"By _hand?"_ Tony says. "Why not just buy one?"

The blacksmith laughs. "Because I love making things, and when I do, I get exactly what I want -- not what somebody else felt like making."

_Oh._ The thought of it lands on Tony's skin like a spark, burning and beautiful. _Oh, I want that_. He's done welding and metallurgy and all that stuff for school, but this is different. Older. Purer.

It's then his gaze snags on the small card taped inside the nearest window: _Help Wanted._

"What kind of help are you hiring?" Tony asks. Maybe it will be somewhere that he could stand and watch the man work.

"An apprentice," says the blacksmith. "I usually take on one or two each summer to get me through the tourist season. It's backbreaking work, but a diligent boy can learn a lot in a few months."

Tony can learn a whole _field_ in a few months, to the utter consternation of his professors. For once in his life, he does not blurt this out. He wants the blacksmith to _like_ him. "I would ... uh, like to apply for the job."

"Would you, now." The blacksmith dunks the metal plate into a deep trough, bringing up a cloud of steam. Then he sets it aside.

Tony is completely unprepared for the rough, proprietary grasp of his shoulder as the powerful fingers dig in. "Hey!" he yelps.

"Not much meat on your bones," the blacksmith says. He hauls Tony toward the forge and shows him a device made of leather and metal. "Start on the bellows to build up some muscle." The man demonstrates the correct motion a few times. Then he kicks Tony's feet into position, shows him how to plant himself properly, puts Tony's hands on the handles, and coaches him through the process. "There you go. Now watch the fire, you want to keep it good and red for me."

"Yeah, okay," Tony says, struggling with the stiff bellows. This is much harder than it looks.

"Tch. None of that! I'm Master Tom to you now. What's your name?" says the blacksmith.

"I'm Tony," he replies, and then adds, "... Master Tom." It's not quite the first time anyone has ever earned his respect, but not far from it either.

So Tony pumps the bellows until he feels like his arms are going to fall off. Then Master Tom puts him to hauling water in two buckets that hang from a wooden yoke over Tony's shoulders, until he feels like his legs are going to fall off. After that it's coal in a wagon, and later still, iron barstock.

At the end of the day, Tony wilts onto the floor. Master Tom applies the steel toe of his boot to Tony's shoulder, barely hard enough to shift him at all, but with every muscle screaming complaints it's plenty to make Tony whimper. "Get up. It's time to go home," says Master Tom.

"Go away and let me die in peace," Tony whimpers. It hurts to move. It hurts to _breathe_. Idly he wonders if he might've cracked a rib or something.

"Last bus leaves in ten minutes," Master Tom warns.

"Didn't take a bus, drove myself," Tony says.

Master Tom picks up Tony's right hand and looks at how it shakes, how some of the blisters are still oozing. "Well, you're sure not driving home like that," he says. He scoops Tony under one arm and deposits him on a bench. Then Master Tom cleans the blisters, coats them with something sticky that smells of honey, and wraps them in gauze. "Ready to quit?"

Tony is filthy, hot, sweaty, exhausted, and in serious pain. Howard will go apeshit when he finds out. He will, of course, find out; he always does. Tony can hardly wait. He bites back the instinctive _Fuck no!_ and replaces it with, "No, Master Tom. What time do I start tomorrow?"

"Be here at 8 A.M. The village opens to the public at 11 A.M. and it takes time to get everything set up before then. Here's your pin, 'Prentice," says Master Tom as he hands Tony a bit of metal and ceramic with a crossed hammer and tongs over the word _Apprentice_. "Come on, I'll find someone to drive you home."

"Too far," Tony mumbles. "Need to get a room."

"No trouble at all, then, we have an arrangement with a motel just down the road. I'll call them to pick you up," says Master Tom.

The motel room is without a doubt the shabbiest place Tony has ever set foot in. He does not care in the slightest as he wolfs down half a pizza and then passes out on the bed, fully dressed.


	2. Busting His Ass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony learns how to work in the smithy.

**[June 24, 1987]**  
  
Tony spends two weeks busting his ass in the smithy. This isn't like his classes where he's read all the textbooks _and_ the recommend reading, then finished his homework in half an hour. Every minute of this job is hard labor, backbreaking work, and a world of pain. He doesn't give up, though, because ... he's not _bored_. Tony literally cannot remember the last time anything held his interest for two solid weeks and remained challenging. Because Master Tom isn't just working Tony's body, but also his mind.

Every part of the smithy has its own name, and Tony has to learn them all from scratch. He can recognize many of the tools, but Master Tom won't let him near them. Instead it's all about the forge and the anvil, the metal and the coal. Tony learns the names for the colors of hot metal and the temperature of each. He learns the names for the tempering colors and the temperatures they indicate.

It isn't something he can figure out in five minutes, but something he has to _practice,_ and he stares at the glowing metal until his eyes water and Master Tom sends him to the well with the yoke and buckets. Tony soaks it all up like a sponge.  
His fingers itch to hold a hammer, but he knows better than to sneak a touch. He wants this to be good. _He_ wants to be good. Tony's hands stop bleeding and the blisters heal, his little welder's calluses spreading to protect more of his hands. They're nothing like Master Tom's, of course, hard as hooves and nearly as big. Tony even has little cords of muscles starting to show on his arms. It's all good.

It doesn't last, of course. Nothing good in Tony's life lasts. But it's not Howard who comes for him. It's Obie.

Tony feels his face crumple into a furious scowl. Howard couldn't even be bothered to come _himself._ Tony must not be trying hard enough to piss him off. Well, there are ways to fix that.

Oddly enough, though, Tony doesn't get a chance.

Master Tom takes one look at his expression and the large man in the open door. He stands up. All of a sudden, Obie seems ... _smaller_. Master Tom is half a head taller and quite a bit broader and so much more muscular. It's like seeing a fireplug beside a furnace.

"What can I do for you?" Master Tom asks in his deep, booming voice.

"I am here to take Anthony home," says Obie. He cranes his neck, trying to see into the dim smithy. The sunlight is bright and the inside is dim. Besides, with only one door open, Master Tom takes up most of it.

"Sorry I can't help you with that. My new 'Prentice is working out just fine," says Master Tom. It's not praise from Howard, but it's still praise, and Tony's belly warms just a bit to hear it.

"I can make it worth your while," Obie says. Rustle of cloth, leather, and finally paper: he's writing a check.

"If you'll excuse us, it's time for lunch. The smithy is closed for now," says Master Tom. He simply presses Obie back onto the walkway, firmly shutting the door behind him. "Will you look at that, now it's dark as the Devil's backside in here." Master Tom hands Tony a little rolled-up bit of paper and a long pair of tongs. "Go light the oil lamps."

Tony takes both. His fingers recognizing the expensive checkbook paper that Obie favors. Grinning, Tony fits it into the end of the tongs and catches a spark from the forge. Then he touches it to the wick as Master Tom holds up the delicate glass chimney. As the chimney goes back into place, the room lights up startlingly bright. Master Tom tweaks the tiny wheel to settle the wick so the flame doesn't flare and jump. It never ceases to amaze Tony how someone so powerful can handle such fragile things without ever dropping or breaking anything.

"Fetch our lunches, 'Prentice," says Master Tom, waving toward the antique icebox that holds an actual hunk of ice.

Tony fetches their lunches. Each lunchbox basically consists of a bucket with a lid containing a sandwich, a hunk of cheese, and a piece of fruit from the village kitchen. Today they have ham, Swiss, and peaches. The cooks here make great food, plain but rich and filling. Alongside the lunchboxes are two bail jars full of whatever the home brewer has dished out for the day. It turns out to be root beer, which still tastes flat to Tony because it has only natural carbonation, but _oh,_ the flavors are so much more complex than commercial soda.

It's hard to concentrate on the good food, though. Tony's head fizzes and sparks after Obie's visit. He's gotten attention, all right, but not the kind he wanted.

"Heads up," says Master Tom. "See that rack there?" A long wooden block holds tools that look like strangely shaped chunks of metal. "Those are hardie tools. Each one has a square shaft that fits into the hardie hole in the anvil. The square hole locks the shaft in place so the tool can't turn when you use it. Starting from left now, there's a cutting wedge, a swage, a turning tool ..."

Tony crams the last of his sandwich into his mouth and leans forward, utterly captivated.

* * *

**[July 1, 1987]**

Tony spends the next week learning the names of all the tools and what they can do. There are hammers in different shapes and sizes, tongs with various lengths and jaws, even the hardie tools come in a range of sizes. Once Tony can name them all accurately, Master Tom sends him trotting back and forth across the smithy to fetch them. Tony still isn't allowed to _use_ any of them, but at least now he gets to _touch_ them.

Master Tom works his way through the entire set. Some tools he uses all the time, like the tongs and the hammers. Others only come out for odd jobs, like the 7/8" acorn spring swedge that does nothing but put a decorative nut shape on the end of bar stock. Master Tom makes easy things like dinner triangles and rings made of horseshoe nails, intermediate ones like corkscrews and roses, even advanced ones like custom-fitted horseshoes and an elaborate horse-headed fire grate with matching hearth tools. It's then that Tony begins to see the _art_ of blacksmithing, as well as the craft.

For the first time, he isn't entirely sure he can do all of the things that sees. Sure, he could bend rings and triangles in his sleep. He's pretty confident that he could do a corkscrew, because he's made much harder things when welding. He's less certain about the rose, so delicately furled that it looks alive. The horses dancing above the fire grate somehow evoke a sense of motion, of wind, even in the iron. Tony doubts he could capture that. He's completely sure that if he tried to hot-shoe a Clydesdale, he'd wind up getting kicked in the crotch. This is an experience he can do without, even in the interest of upsetting his father.

Well ... it still hasn't been a _waste_ of a summer. Even if Tony never gets any good at this, he's learning the most amazing things. He can take all that back to metallurgy class in the fall and finally do something interesting with it.

That, of course, is when Howard arrives: the precise moment when Tony most doubts his abilities.

The man stands precisely in the middle of the open doors, his back ramrod straight. He not very tall or very wide, but his personality is so large that he seems to fill the entire opening anyway.

Tony struggles not to slump in place. He will not let Howard see him in a posture of defeat, even if the dancing horses seem to mock him with their iron grace.

"How may I help you, sir?" asks Master Tom.

"I've come to collect my son," Howard says.

Peevishly Tony takes a single step _sideways_ into the light, letting the afternoon sun show off how utterly filthy he is. The water bucket in his hand weighs a bit, but he hardly notices it anymore. It still shows off his slowly growing muscles. What a pity the breeze always blows into the smithy, instead of blowing his sweat into his father's face.

Thin lips twitch down at the right corner, betraying Howard's disgust. It isn't the show of attention that Tony wants, but he'll take what he can get.

"So it's your work I've been cleaning up after?" says Master Tom. "Well, that's good to know. I wondered what idiot had been ignoring the hell out of a bright young man."

Tony rocks back on his heels, stunned by the little speech. _Nobody_ talks to his father that way. Nobody would dare. Well, aside from Tony, but he's such a disappointment that it hardly counts.

Howard narrows his eyes, shifting from annoyed to furious. "Do you know who I am?" he snaps.

"Don't know, don't care," drawls Master Tom.

"I am Howard Stark! I could have you thrown in _jail_ for kidnapping my heir," the rich man says. "This is no fit place for him."  
  
Master Tom shrugs. "Door's open. My 'Prentice here is free to leave any time he cares to quit his job."

Tony does not move.

"I could buy this entire farce of a historic exhibit today and bulldoze it tomorrow," Howard says.

"You could," Master Tom says with a little nod. "But then you'd lose, because it would mean you couldn't win in a fair argument, you had to _cheat."_

A snicker bubbles up from Tony's chest, warm and bright.

"Then you bring him out to me," says Howard.

"No." Master Tom crosses his arms, like a tree trunk tying itself in a knot.

Howard storms into the smithy. Tony expects Master Tom to deflect this invasion of his territory. Instead, Master Tom lets Howard in without further attempt to dissuade him. Howard lashes out and grabs Tony's arm, hard.

But Tony's arm is harder, now, and Howard's fingers can't dig in like they used to. Howard yanks, but Tony _plants_ himself just like he does when working the bellows, and doesn't budge. Howard yanks again, his expression turning from anger to confusion.

Tony shrugs. It takes surprisingly little effort to slip free of his father's grip.

"You come with me _right now--"_ Howard begins.

"Actually, no. I'm busy," Tony says, striving for a firm tone. "You could always come back later and see if I can fit you in. Or I know -- you could make an _appointment."_

Howard opens his mouth. Closes it. A minute later he grits out, "I don't have time for this." He shakes his head and walks away.

Tony lets out the breath he's been holding, suddenly dizzy with relief.

"You okay there?" asks Master Tom. His hand cups Tony's elbow, very gently, as if to offer support.

"Stark men are made of iron," Tony mutters.

Master Tom leans forward and sniffs him, then opens his mouth. For a moment Tony thinks the older man intends to _lick_ him, which had happened once with a pervert professor it had been necessary to get fired, but no -- Master Tom is just using that trick with accessing his taste buds to let him smell better. Why he'd want a better whiff of unwashed Tony remains a mystery.

"Not just iron," the blacksmith says thoughtfully. "Titanium, it's lighter and stronger. Me now, _I'm_ plain old wrought iron. You're made of finer stuff, like a jetliner, sleek and shiny. Yes, shiny, something else in there too. Gold, maybe. Or platinum. Hard to tell this young. You're like metal that's not done heating yet. You need more time in the forge before you can climb out onto the anvil and find out what you really are."

Tony thinks about the burning forge and the beating hammer and suppresses a shiver. Master Tom can be weird sometimes, even if he doesn't lick anyone.  
  
Tony's hands still want to fidget. He's fizzing over with restless energy. It's hard to hold still after all that stress. He doesn't want Master Tom thinking it's disrespect, though. "If you say so," he replies.

His master's fingers slide down his arm and turn over his hand, prodding the tough layer of callus. "That'll do," Master Tom says cryptically. "Get on over to the anvil."

Tony gets. To his amazement, Master Tom hands him a two-pound cross-peen hammer and says, "Take a few test strokes to get the feel of that, while I find you something to hit."

"Yes, sir," Tony says. He taps the hammer tentatively against the anvil. It gives a flat, pathetic _tink_. Tony frowns. He swings the hammer again. _Ting!_

"That's more like it. Put your shoulder into it," Master Tom advises. He puts a big wooden box on the floor nearby.  
Eagerly Tony dives into it. Then he slumps. "This just looks like ... a box of scraps."

"Now 'Prentice, let me tell you a thing. When you grow up having _exactly_ what you need for every least little job, it makes you lazy," says Master Tom. "When you get out in the world, the conditions aren't always perfect, the right tools and supplies aren't always there when you need them. Sometimes you just have to make do with whatever you can find. You might be surprised what you can make with a box of scraps. So dig in there and show me what you can do." His encouraging pat on the back almost knocks Tony into the anvil. Almost.

Tony bends down to rummage in the box. He finds tag ends of bar stock, a badly bent ingot of what could be bronze, a whole mess of wire, and a carton of horseshoe nails. None of that really suits his purpose; he needs to learn how to use the hammer.  
  
Then he turns up a thick piece of steel plating that looks like it might have come off a stove. Tony grabs it with the tongs and lifts it onto the anvil. He wiggles it to find a secure position. There are curved parts and flat parts on the plate. This will be perfect for banging around to get the feel of how the hammer behaves on both ends. Later on, he can stick the scrap metal into the forge and see how that changes the feel of it.

"Well chosen," says Master Tom, his voice deep and smooth.  
  
Tony grins and takes his first real swing. _TING-ting!_ sings the hammer. _TING-ting!_  
  
It isn't AC/DC, but Tony thinks he could learn to rock this beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See a [Color Temperature Chart](http://beforeitsnews.com/survival/2013/08/blacksmithing-color-chart-of-steel-2486374.html) and a [Tempering Color Chart](http://image.slidesharecdn.com/15755unit5-150218073530-conversion-gate02/95/heat-treatment-process-27-638.jpg?cb=1424245068). Learn about the process of [tempering](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempering_\(metallurgy\)).
> 
> [Child abuse and neglect](http://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect.htm) can have devasting effects into the [teen](https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/advice-and-info/core-info-neglect-emotional-abuse-teenagers-13-18.pdf) and [adult](https://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/docs/librariesprovider16/default-document-library/the-long-shadow-adult-survivors-of-childhood-abuse.pdf?sfvrsn=0) years. Based on canon, Tony Stark is a poster boy for those effects. There are ways to [deal with past abuse](https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/culturally-speaking/201303/overcoming-the-pain-childhood-abuse-and-neglect) and [move on](http://life.gaiam.com/article/5-steps-overcoming-painful-past). Know how to [parent or mentor an abused child](https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/parenting_CAN.pdf).
> 
> The [history of the lunchbox](http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-history-of-the-lunch-box-98329938/) includes some [fascinating models](http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/files/2010/09/Lunchbox-NMAH-historic-2.jpg). [Bail jars](http://www.thebottleguide.com/glass-jars/bail-top.html) have a wire to hold the lid securely, [like this image](http://productimages.brambleberry.com/GLASSBAIL.jpg), and you can [still find them](http://www.brambleberry.com/8-oz-Glass-Bail-Jar-P5444.aspx).
> 
> [Natural root beer](http://grist.org/article/2009-07-14-tasting-nine-root-beers/) comes in a variety of styles, in [bottles](http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Root-Beer/?ALLSTEPS) or [barrels](http://blog.gourmetrootbeer.com/2014/02/schilos-root-beer/).
> 
> Historic recreation often relies on [seasonal produce](http://www.wisebread.com/fresh-fruits-and-vegetables-by-the-month) for verisimilitude, especially at a long-term site that includes a garden or farm.
> 
> [Blacksmithing equipment](http://www.stormthecastle.com/blacksmithing/blacksmithing-equipment.htm) includes such things as [hardie tools](http://www.stormthecastle.com/blacksmithing/about-hardie-tools.htm). [Spring swages](http://www.centaurforge.com/7_8-Acorn-Spring-Swages/productinfo/ACORN78/) are kind of like tongs with a mold on the end, available in [various styles](http://www.centaurforge.com/Drifts-Spring-Swages-Texture-Tools/products/216/) such as [this acorn](http://www.centaurforge.com/images/ACORN78%20B1.jpg).
> 
> Blacksmith projects range from beginner ([nail jewelry](http://www.instructables.com/id/Horse-Shoe-Nail-Cement-Nail-Jewelry/?ALLSTEPS) and [triangles](http://www.stormthecastle.com/blacksmithing/blacksmithing-project-a-triangle.htm)) through intermediate ([corkscrews](http://www.incandescent-iron.com/forgecorkscrew.html) and [roses](http://www.incandescent-iron.com/wrappedrose.html)) to advanced ([horseshoes](http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/)). [Master blacksmiths](http://www.paulgilbert-blacksmith.co.uk/) can produce functional artwork such as [this firegrate](http://www.paulgilbert-blacksmith.co.uk/devon-blacksmith/small/FireGrates/wrought-iron-firegrates1exeter.jpg) with [horse heads](http://www.paulgilbert-blacksmith.co.uk/devon-blacksmith/small/FireGrates/wrought-iron-firegrates1devon.jpg), and matching [fireplace tools](http://www.paulgilbert-blacksmith.co.uk/devon-blacksmith/small/FireGrates/wroughtiron-devon.gif).
> 
> [AC/DC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC/DC) is a band whose music appears in [Iron Man's grand entrance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbivKqvh-6g) in _[The Avengers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_\(2012_film\))_.


	3. The Fundamentals of Blacksmithing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Tony knows the names of the tools and Master Tom is actually letting him use them, Tony can start to learn the craft of blacksmithing.

Over the next few weeks, Tony learns the fundamentals of blacksmithing. Master Tom seems surprised and pleased that Tony insists on exploring all the tools _first_ before moving from scrap metal to fresh barstock. Next Tony wants to learn the techniques, the individual steps and skills, before trying his hand at actual projects.  
  
So he studies the eight basic hammer strokes followed by the skills of twisting, folding, and straightening. Then Tony tries his hand at making tent stakes and nails. He spends a whole day just exploring different types of drawer pulls, a single simple pattern that can be elaborated in infinite variations.

Master Tom is intrigued again when Tony's early projects focus more on practical items, and especially tools, than the ornaments commonly sold to tourists. "I'm curious about your fascination with tools," he says as he watches Tony make a set of tongs.

"What you said before, about making things the way you want them, not just using what somebody else wanted?" Tony says while the iron heats. "Yeah, that. A lot of times I get an idea to build something, but I don't have the right _tools_ for it. So if I can learn how to make the tools, that's great, then I can build _anything."_

"I do believe you could," Master Tom says with a smile.

Since the blacksmith shop also does the farrier work for the historic village, Tony learns a bit of that as well. He starts by holding and petting the horses while Master Tom does the shoeing. There are the friendly riding horses, the classy carriage horses, and the massive drafts who pull the plows and freight wagons. One of the village ladies even has a dainty Arabian palfrey of pure white. Once Tony figures out that he can't fidget around the horses or it spooks them, the job gets easier.  
  
It would be even easier if Master Tom let him bribe the beasts to stand still, but the blacksmith is adamant that only well-behaved horses get treats, and only after the job is done. "It's about trust," he says. "Some of the horses we get secondhand come out of crummy backgrounds, so it takes time for them to learn that I'm not going to hurt them, that they'll feel better after I've fixed their feet, and if they mind their manners then they'll get a tasty snack afterwards. But the horse has to _choose_ to trust me. I can't force it and I can't bribe it. Horse has his mouth full, he's only thinking about the food, not about my hands. So it takes a while. You want to work with horses, you have to learn patience."

Tony learns patience, especially after one of the Clydesdales stomps on his foot for moving around too much.

Master Tom teaches him a few fundamentals of farrier work, like how to finish off the nails, how to pull a worn shoe, and eventually how to nail one on. "Now it takes a couple years to learn the whole craft, but you can get the basics down a lot quicker," the older man explains. "That's enough to pull a snagged shoe in the field, or set one in an emergency. Good things to know. Fitting shoes isn't much harder, making them a little more so -- corrective shoeing, now that's advanced work." Master Tom does it, though, and Tony watches in admiration.

There is something about making horseshoes that intrigues Tony enough to try his hand at it, and he turns out to be rather good. Master Tom shows him the subtle variation in hooves and what makes a good fit in a shoe. Tony can't help thinking this would be a lot simpler if the horseshoe would adjust _itself_ \-- if you could just have the horse step on it and the thing would clamp in place. He's tried to design self-fitting footwear for people, but nobody seems to want to wear metal boots. Tony doesn't get why. He thinks they're cool.

One day, Tony arrives to find Master Tom chatting with another man. The visitor is a wiry old goat with a shrewd face, barely taller than Tony himself. He sits on a wooden bench smoking a pipe. The horseshoe pin of mastery glints from his lapel.

"Tony, this is my friend Master Ewan, who works at the Genessee Country Historic Village," says Master Tom with a wave of his hand. "Ewan, this is my new apprentice, Tony."

"Are you really a blacksmith?" Tony blurts. "You're so small!"

Without letting go of his pipe, Master Ewan scoops Tony up in one hand, perches him momentarily over a bony shoulder, and then dumps him back onto the floor. Both blacksmiths roar with laughter as Tony scrambles to his feet. "He sure is a _mouthy_ little thing, ain't he?" says Master Ewan.

"That he is, but he pulls his weight in here," says Master Tom. "Of course, if you change your mind about that weaponsmithing lesson, we'll understand." He narrows his eyes at Tony.

"I uh, shouldn't have, um. Please don't leave!" Tony stammers. "What kind of weapons do you make? I'd really love to hear about that."

Master Ewan glances at Master Tom, who gives a tiny nod that Tony can't decipher. "I make blades -- mostly swords and knives, some arrowheads and bayonets too -- and do a bit of gunsmithing on the side, so barrels and bullets."

"Wow," Tony says.

He spends hours sitting at their feet listening while they talk about blacksmithing and various types of weaponry. It isn't often that Tony's brain goes quiet and his body goes still and he can just bask in the flow of input. It feels wonderful.

After lunch, Master Ewan gets up and begins the demonstrations. He shows Tony how to make an arrowhead out of a penny, and then a spoon. He demonstrates various uses for a steel can including another arrowhead, a fishing lure, and a knife. Then he forges a long bodkin arrow point. "These were armor piercers -- war arrows -- not hunting points," Master Ewan explains. "A good longbow could put these through chain mail, or at close enough range, even a breastplate."

Tony stares at the keen point, calculating the physics of its shape, the force of its flight, the probable characteristics of the armor. He knows a lot about historic warfare but he's always eager to learn more.

Master Ewan goes on to make some arrow spoons, for removing broadheads from victims. He chatters on about the horrors of battlefield surgery until Tony starts to get queasy. The arrow spoons are still interesting, though.

Then Master Ewan switches to blades, and the demonstration soon exceeds Tony's current grasp of blacksmithing. All Tony understands is that the steel is beautiful and it flows under Master Ewan's hands almost as if he sculpts it with will alone. Tony wishes that he could do that. So far, he can whack out a decent butter knife or cheese plane, but Master Tom hasn't let him sharpen anything yet.

After a while, Master Tom takes a turn. He shapes a knife, and then a fireplace shovel. He makes a campfire skillet stand from used horseshoes, because he hates to waste anything. He works iron into small flourishes to make a grille, which quickly turns into a contest with Master Ewan to see who can make the most elaborate design of trivet.

Then Master Tom hands Tony a hammer and says, "Your turn."

"What -- what should I make?" Tony says.

"Whatever you like," says Master Tom. "Take your choice of tools and supplies, just try not to get in too far over your head."  
Tony is tempted to show off. He is tempted to try out the fine barstock that he hasn't been allowed to touch yet. Instead, he shoves down those impulses in favor of something that he's pretty sure he can do. He likes the trivets that Master Tom has made. A trivet can be plain or fancy, but it's not actually that hard to make. It just has to turn out flat so the feet will rest even and the pot won't wobble.

Howard has a collection of trivets at home, handsome old things with stars and hands and geometric designs. One even has a compass on it, but Tony knows better than to try replicating that. Simple curves he can do, though, and straight lines. He chooses the barstock that Master Tom uses to make trivets for the tourists. Carefully Tony builds six circles into a floral shape, welds them together, and adds the feet. It stands even. He goes on to make a star inside a double ring, and then a more elaborate wagon wheel design.

"Interesting patterns," Master Ewan observes.

"Just some of my dad's old crap," says Tony, although he's pleased with his little row of trivets.

"If it's crap, why are you copying it?" says Master Ewan. "Come here, I'll show you how to make a knife."

It's not a fancy knife like what he'd made before. Master Ewan doesn't even go for the fresh barstock. Instead he delves into the scrap box for a piece of spring steel. He shows Tony how to flatten the blade and curl the handle around, measuring carefully so it fits the blacksmith's hand. "Go on, see what you can do," Master Ewan says then.

So Tony makes a mindful choice of the spring steel, then heats it enough to hammer out the curve. He wants a blade about as long as his hand and as wide as two fingers. The steel behaves beautifully under his hammer. Apparently Master Tom was right about the value of scraps, and Tony will have to explore that spring steel further in the future. He compares the partial handle to the width of his knuckles before finishing the curl. When he's done, he has a fine little knife whose handle wraps around his hand, sturdy and comfortable to hold. It's not sharp yet, but that's no trouble to do later.

"Now let me show you a handy little trick with this type of knife," Master Ewan says as he takes something from his pocket. He whacks it against the outer part of the handle, and produces a spray of bright orange sparks. Startled, Tony leaps away. Master Ewan chuckles. "You can start a fire with flint and steel. That's a useful survival skill. Find yourself some tinder and give it a try."

Tony gathers a supply of tinder and a handful of kindling. He sits down on the stone floor, finds a scorched spot that he can't make any worse, and sets to work. It is more difficult than it looks. The two blacksmiths have gone back to their casual chatter as Tony sweats over his efforts. Getting sparks is hard. _Aiming_ them onto the little wad of tinder is even harder. By the time he crows success over the yellow tongue of flame, the sun has set.

"Wash up, we've sent for supper," says Master Tom.

Tony takes a turn at the pump, and when he comes up, there is a whole campfire-roasted chicken on the side table. Beside it rests a basket of baked potatoes, a crock of green beans, a watermelon, and a Dutch oven with a chocolate cake inside. It all tastes delicious, and Tony has to force himself to slow down enough to enjoy it. The little wooden keg pours out ginger ale with so much of a bite that it makes his eyes cross.

Master Ewan coughs. "Good ginger ale," he rasps.

"You never know what you're going to get around here, but it's always worth having in the end," says Master Tom.

"I'll drink to that," Tony agrees, and they all clink their mugs together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blacksmithing basics include the [8 hammer strokes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GQl-oqFTnc) and skills such as [twisting, folding, and straightening](http://www.stormthecastle.com/blacksmithing/blacksmithing-2.htm). They make things like [tent stakes](http://www.incandescent-iron.com/befiprretest.html), [nails](http://www.incandescent-iron.com/makingnails.html), [drawer pulls](http://www.incandescent-iron.com/madrpu.html), and [tongs](http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crafts-and-nature/crafting-blacksmith-tongs.aspx).
> 
> [Farrier work](http://www.thefarrierguide.com/farriery-guide/what-does-a-farrier-do/) entails [taking care of horse hooves and shoes](http://www.thefarrierguide.com/farriery-guide/how-to-become-a-farrier/). There's [a bit of science to it](http://www.thefarrierguide.com/farriery-guide/what-is-farrier-science/), and it requires [specialized tools](http://www.thefarrierguide.com/farriery-guide/farrier-supplies-horse-shoeing-tools/). [Shoeing a horse](http://www.wikihow.com/Shoe-a-Horse) can [be done](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyjXFx0GSX8) hot or [cold](https://www.ruralheritage.com/new_rh_website/resources/hoof_care/cold_shoeing.shtml). Hot shoeing [gives a better fit](http://www.hghorseshoeing.com/why-hot-shoe/), as [shown here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYnCxE_1hfM), but some horses dislike it. See a [comparison of bad and good shoeing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV-M_FCyuVQ).
> 
> [Genesee Country Village and Museum](https://www.gcv.org/Historic-Village) includes [many professions](http://www.gcv.org/HistoricVillage/HistoricBuildings/BusinessesShopsandProfessions.aspx) such as a [blacksmith shop](http://www.gcv.org/HistoricVillage/HistoricBuildings/BusinessesShopsandProfessions.aspx#7).
> 
> Smithcraft is a classic way of upcycling. You can [make an arrowhead from a penny](http://www.instructables.com/id/One-Cent-Arrowhead/?ALLSTEPS). With a tin can you can [make an arrowhead, knife, or lure](http://survivallife.com/2014/09/30/uses-for-a-tin-can/). Watch a video of [a tin can arrowhead](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTeVet_OUUA) in construction. This video shows how to [make a broadhead from a spoon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MYR1NOGB8A). Here's one on how to [make a long bodkin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB0jkfI27Ew).
> 
> [Arrow spoons](http://www.knightsinbattle.com/knightsinbattle_files/sgarrowr.jpg) were once a [part of a surgeon's kit](http://www.knightsinbattle.com/Surgeon.htm).
> 
> Learn how to [forge a knife](http://www.stormthecastle.com/blacksmithing/blacksmithing-a-knife/forging-a-knife-part-1.htm).
> 
> [Campfire skillet stands](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/cf/44/24/cf442446708b4cfffbd53d77cb0e345e.jpg) make cooking easier.  
>   
> Here's a video on [forging a ring trivet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7kkSM9dXEw). This is a [much fancier scrolled trivet](http://www.smithshopdetroit.com/store/hand-forged-steel-trivet). [Masonic trivets](http://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/trivets/) include some [beauties like these](http://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/.a/6a00e550caa66d88340147e272f485970b-800wi), [this heart-in-hand model](http://cdn0.rubylane.com/shops/charmingandcheap/12669.1L.jpg), and [this star](http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAwMFg3NTA=/z/LhgAAOSwBLlU~H2c/%24_35.JPG).
> 
> Watch a video on [how to forge a survival knife](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSSchjljLpw).
> 
> Enjoy a [Dutch oven chocolate cake](http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2009/06/_a_slice_of_chocolate.html) and some [homebrew ginger ale](http://byo.com/cider/item/1255-pop-art-brewing-excellent-soda).


	4. A Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By the end of the summer, Tony has learned the basics of blacksmithing. There's just one more thing to do ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here ends "What Little Boys Are Made Of." Thank you all for sticking with the series this far! I love your input. Final thoughts on the story overall are welcome, in addition to reactions on this specific chapter.
> 
> I also have a list of [favorite photogenic scenes](http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/9313791.html) from the whole series for fanartists to consider, partly compiled from audience requests.
> 
> A note on feedback: While it's not necessary to comment on every post I make, remember that I don't know who reads/likes things if nobody says anything. Particularly on long stories, I've discovered that I get antsy if there's nothing but crickets chirping for several posts. So it helps to give me feedback at least once, even if it's just "I like this" or "This one doesn't grab me." First and last episodes are ideal if you rarely feel inspired to comment in the middle.
> 
>  
> 
> Not all the endnotes fit, so I moved some here:
> 
> [Storytelling](http://www.fcbg.org.uk/the-importance-of-story-yours-your-familys-and-your-worlds-plus-a-giveaway/) connects families and communities. It has [many functions](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3010736/), including the way it [helps people to cope with traumatic experiences](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/fashion/the-family-stories-that-bind-us-this-life.html?_r=0). Here are some [tips on family storytelling](http://lisawingate.com/blog3/storytelling-for-families/).
> 
> [Apprenticeship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apprenticeship) is a way of learning a practical trade. A [journeyman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journeyman) is fully trained, but hasn't yet learned the finer skills that lead to [mastery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_craftsman). Depending on the craft, the amount of effort spent, and the talent of the student it can take anywhere from a few months to several years for an apprentice to become a journeyman. Tony's at the fast end of the scale.

**[August 1, 1987]**

Tony is sorting a new order of barstock into the cubbies and crates for storage. The long fine rods go into cubbies, almost like a mailroom wall, while the heavy ones go in crates like the ingots do. They're shipped in boxes that weigh up to fifty pounds, but Tony has to look at the labels to tell that. They all feel like feathers to him now.

Master Tom and Master Ewan lean against the wall, chatting quietly. Tony can still hear them. They're talking about him and Obie and Howard. Tony puts the barstock away very carefully so that he can make out the words.

"So this first chump shows up, just two weeks after I've hired the boy. Likes to think he's a big man," Master Tom says with a chuckle.

Master Ewan chews the stem of his pipe. "Trouble?"

"Oh he tried, he tried," Master Tom says. "Tony all quaking in his boots, and Mr. Chump trying to bribe me into pitching him out. Wrote me a check as wide as a Clydesdale's ass. But Tony wouldn't quit, so I sure wouldn't quit on him."

"What did you do with the check?" asks Master Ewan.

"Well, see ..." Master Tom scratches the side of his neck. "I had to shut the door in Mr. Chump's face, so Tony needed a scrap of paper to light the oil lamp with."

Master Ewan's laugh is a piercing _YEE hee hee!_ like a billy goat bleating. Even Tony smiles where he is meticulously placing the new jewelry wire into the drawers of its little cabinet. "Any more trouble after that?" Master Ewan asks.

"Just a bit," says Master Tom. "Week later, this weaselly little creep shows up, claims to be Tony's father. Well la-di-da, look who's late to the party!"

Master Ewan leans over to spit on the floor. "Yep, I know the story," he says. "Last summer I had the same problem with my girl 'Prentice, you remember her."

"The one who wanted to become an armorer so people wouldn't keep trying to sell her boobplate?" Master Tom says with a grin. "Indeed I do. I heard she's going medieval, got herself a journeywoman job at Pennsic War this year. I don't doubt we'll be hearing great things about Tony in a year or two. So anyway, Mr. Weasel wanted to take Tony home."

Tony is trying very hard not to snicker out loud. Everyone in the world (except for Tony) wants to kiss Howard Stark's ass, and here's Master Tom calling him _Mr. Weasel._

"I'm guessing that didn't go too well for Mr. Weasel," says Master Ewan.

Ha! Now there are _two_ of them.

"I figured that Tony needed a chance to stand up for himself, and by that time he had enough muscle starting to make good on it," says master Tom. "So Mr. Weasel marched himself into my smithy, all fancy in his _white shirt,_ and tried to drag Tony home. Only Tony wouldn't budge! That rich fart might as well have tried to pull up a hickory sapling with his bare hands."

_YEE hee hee!_ goes Master Ewan. "Serves him right."

"Boy's got backbone, I'll give him that," says Master Tom. Then he raises his voice. "Hey, 'Prentice! You done putting away that shipment?"

"Yes, Master Tom," says Tony as he straightens up.

"Well, pull some of the shoeing iron back out. This morning I'm going to teach you how to shoe a pony. At least this way, when you get kicked, it's not liable to break bone," says Master Tom. "Then after lunch, Master Ewan's going to show you how to make a folding blade. Boy ought to have a decent pocketknife, I don't know what your father was thinking, letting you run around without one."

Howard hadn't been thinking about Tony at all, is what. But Tony is starting to care about that ... just a little less.  
"Thank you, Master Tom," he says crisply as he selects the proper barstock.

* * *

**[August 31, 1987]**

By the end of summer, Tony has learned how to make all the tourist things: candleholders, rings and keychains, door knockers, hooks and handles, even simple lanterns. He can make both nails and horseshoes, and shoe the phlegmatic ponies from the pony ride. He has made enough tools for himself that he needs a toolbox for them, a handsome wooden thing bartered from the village carpenter.  
  
Sometimes in the evenings, they gather with the other staff and sing or play musical instruments. Tony has a set of spoons that he made himself and is learning how to play. These fireside circles are pretty much the closest he's had to family, to friends, to community.

Tony knows that his time here is coming to an end. He knows, and he hates it. This summer has been a little island of peace and joy in a life that consists mainly of glitz, boredom, and fights with his father. If anything Tony is surprised that Howard has let it go on so long, but maybe he has more important things to worry about. In any case, classes will resume soon, and Tony has to go back to MIT. He does love the labs there ... but he'll miss the dim, grimy haven on the forge.  
Maybe he'll build his own someday.

"Summer's almost over," Master Tom says thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I was thinking, maybe next year --" Tony begins.

"No, I told you back at the beginning, I take a new apprentice every year," Master Tom says, shaking his head. "You've already learned most of what I could teach you. The rest takes _practice."_

"Then ... what happens now?" Tony says. He tries not to let the disappointment show. "Are you firing me?"

"Now we see if you're fit to be a journeyman," says Master Tom. "Come here, and bring your tools. I want you to make a pair of twist-jaw tongs, a candle stand, and a brooch back."

Tony begins with the tongs. That is the most straightforward project, a test of strength, because the barstock for tools is stubborn stuff. He's built up a respectable amount of muscle over the summer, though. The hammer sings in his hands as he works.  
  
When Tony offers the tongs for inspection, Master Tom nods approval. "Next, the candle stand," he says.

That one is a test of artistry. Tony decides to make something original. He twists together three slim bars as a frame, spreading them at the bottom to form feet and at the top to support the candle glass. He adds decorative chains trailing from the tips of the bars back down to the base. To hold the candle glass, he makes a cup of holly leaves, each thorn meticulously drawn out and sharpened. He feels proud of his work, but --

"I can't finish this with the supplies I have right here," Tony admits. "It needs a glass, because you said stand and not holder."

"Finish it," says Master Tom, holding out a round of dimpled crystal from the glassmaker's shop.

Tony takes the glass, carefully measuring it against the cup he has forged. It needs a little careful tweaking of the iron leaves, and then the glass sits perfectly in its place.

"Light it," says Master Tom. He hands over a beeswax votive candle.

Tony sets it into the glass. Then he unsheathes his survival knife and the flake of flint alongside it, deftly striking sparks onto the cotton wick. The candle flares to life.

"Well done," says Master Tom. "One last piece. Use the jewelry anvil, and you may borrow my fine tools."

This one makes Tony nervous, because it's a test of finesse. Jewelry is delicate stuff. It has to look beautiful as well as holding together, and it's easy to break. He works slowly, carefully, tapping out a flat round plate and making the lacy edge that will later hold the inset cabochon. Then he fashions a pin from wire and welds it onto the back.

"Now add this," says Master Tom. He gives Tony a cabochon of ceramic glazed with an anvil and the word _Journeyman_. "If you can set this without breaking anything, you're in."

Tony takes the cabochon, applies a dab of jewelry glue, and fits the ceramic in place. He tries to press the lace edge around it with his fingers. That's when he realizes the problem: he's _strong_ enough, but his fingertips dent around the metal instead of bending it. If he uses the hammer, or even the wooden mallet, he might crack the cabochon. If he rolls the edge against the anvil, he might chip or scratch the fragile surface of the glaze.  
  
Desperate, Tony looks around for inspiration -- and spies a scrap of leather in a box on the workbench. He wraps the leather around the brooch to protect it, then carefully rolls the edge against the anvil to fold the loops around the cabochon. When he opens the leather, the brooch gleams whole and perfect in the palm of his hand.

Tony passes it to Master Tom with a little bow. "Assignment complete, sir," he says.

Master Tom examines the brooch minutely. "Congratulations, Journeyman," he says, and pins it to Tony's shirt. "Don't forget the real meaning of this. It doesn't mean that you're done learning. It means that you need to go find other masters to learn from, because each of us can teach you different things. Blacksmithing is a grand profession. It built the foundation of the world we know. It can save lives, or end them. So you treat it with respect, and you go make me proud."

"Yes, sir," Tony says.

"And don't listen to your father, he's an idiot," says Master Tom.

Tony grins at him. "I never do."

* * *

**[October 1, 1987]**

In autumn, Tony settles back into MIT. He reads all the textbooks and then the recommended reading list. He does the homework as far ahead as the syllabi permit. He gets to know his new professors (casually) and the incoming freshmen (intimately). Tony finds graduate school slightly less boring than undergraduate school.

He also rents a garage off campus and uses it to create his own forge. It isn't much at first, but it's his, and he uses it to expand his set of blacksmithing tools. He even makes his own anvil to replace the one he bought. Tony loves creating things. He experiments with welding in new ways, even though he's been welding things for years. Somehow the blacksmithing gives him a fresh perspective on it. There are wild new ideas simmering in his mind.  
  
Tony doesn't have an apprentice. Nobody sane wants to work with him, because admittedly, he's kind of a dick. So he can't just count on hiring help like Master Tom can. But he might be able to _build_ some ...

The first thing Tony does with his freshly built wrought iron workbench is write a letter and a check. He arranges for an endowment for the historic village, to make sure it can continue without worrying about funds. He has more money than he knows what to do with anyway. He also establishes a scholarship for apprentices, so that nobody has to miss out on a terrific opportunity just because they can't afford a summer job that pays archaic-rate wages.  
  
Tony routes the donation through a carefully constructed relay of cover accounts. He's not making this one for fame, like the galas his parents drag him to periodically. He suspects that Master Tom will figure it out anyway.

That done, Tony puts a few irons in the fire. While they heat, he begins making preliminary sketches in his notebook. This won't be a full build, not yet. He's just noodling around designs for now. Once he gets a model that he likes, then he can scale up using the major welding equipment. For now, Tony debates the merits of two, three, or four fingers while keeping an eye on the color temperature of his barstock.

The phone rings. He'd only installed the thing in case of emergency, and he hadn't given the number to anyone. So it had to be Howard. Grumbling, Tony answers the phone. "What do you want?"

Howard rambles something about charity and the mayor and music and several dates later in the month.  
  
Tony listens with half an ear, the majority of his attention on the whirr of the fan and the merry chinkle of coals in the forge. He reaches out with his tongs and grasps a piece of barstock. The end glows a bright yellow.

"Uh huh, yeah, great, whatever. Listen, I have to go now. I've got something in the oven," Tony says. He hangs up.

Then he goes to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Learn how to [make twist-jaw tongs](http://www.incandescent-iron.com/twistjawtongs.html) as in [this picture](http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-17797617870419_2262_72752014).
> 
> Learn how to [make a Gothic candle stand](http://www.incandescent-iron.com/gocastile.html), like [this one](http://ep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-17797617870419/gothiccandlestand-2.gif).
> 
> Learn how to [make a brooch back](http://fsbiochem.com/DIY-Jewelry-Making/Blank-Bases/Pendants/30MM-antique-bronzed-round-double-lace-edged-pin-18283.html), such [as this](http://fsbiochem.com/pic/140225165916.jpg). They may have a [stone](https://img1.etsystatic.com/016/0/5769390/il_340x270.440772607_ismw.jpg) or [ceramic](https://img1.etsystatic.com/051/0/5487167/il_214x170.665828141_a275.jpg) insert. [Vintage blacksmith emblems](https://d3ui957tjb5bqd.cloudfront.net/images/screenshots/products/37/374/374857/%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%8F-blacksmith-all-o.jpg?1424875148) show a variety of tools used to symbolize the trade. These were used on signs, stamps, and badges.
> 
> Here are some general guidelines on [how to forge things](http://blacksmithing.org/resources/howto/) and projects.
> 
> This is one example of a [wrought iron workbench](http://www.christies.com/lotfinderimages/d55264/a_french_wrought-iron_and_marble_table_circa_1890_d5526495h.jpg).  
>   
> [Adult children may disown their parents](http://www.bu.edu/fsao/2012/07/13/when-your-adult-child-doesn%E2%80%99t-want-you/) for various reasons. [Abuse](http://www.rolereboot.org/family/details/2012-07-wheres-the-support-for-adult-children-who-divorce-th) is a common one. However, another is that it's simply the natural result of parents not paying attention to their children. The song "[Cat's in the Cradle](http://genius.com/Harry-chapin-cats-in-the-cradle-lyrics)" by Harry Chapin is a [heartbreaking display of this](http://genius.com/Harry-chapin-cats-in-the-cradle-lyrics). Another factor is the pernicious idea that "[you can't be your child's friend](https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/why-you-cant-be-your-childs-friend/)." Guess what, if you aren't your child's friend then you will probably have NO relationship once they grow up, because after you lose your authority, friendship is all you have left. Fortunately some people understand that [you can be both parent and friend](https://mrdad.com/ask-mr-dad/friend-vs-parent-you-dont-have-to-choose/), and there are [ways to raise your children](http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/3008?orginalId=11034) that provide a [strong foundation for parent-adultchild friendships](http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/02/grownup-children-become-parents-friends). Don't do a Howard! Know how to [disown your dysfunctional family](http://www.wikihow.com/Disown-Your-Family), and how to [cope if your adult children abandon you](http://www.aarp.org/relationships/friends-family/info-03-2012/the-stranger-in-your-family.html).
> 
>  has thoughtfully observed: "You might be amused to know that, in the Avengers Academy mobile game (which takes place in what is essentially a college!AU), there is a part in which Tony decides to be a blacksmith. Needless to say, this fic was the first thing I thought of when my roommate (who plays the game) told me about this. Here are some screenshots my roommate took of how Tony decided to be a blacksmith: [Odin warns Iron Man about dark elves](http://imageshack.com/a/img924/9332/APbREa.png), [Tony decides to be a blacksmith](http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img923/9863/WDv8QB.png), [Tony dresses in a leather apron](http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img922/4189/mNKwZC.png), and [Tony decides to burn his shirts](http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img922/774/XRAsqV.png). And here is a screenshot she took--at my request, and with a great deal of difficulty!--of [Tony forging a sword](http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img924/3982/5abbG9.png), which IMMEDIATELY made me think of Tony working in Master Tom's shop." I had no idea this game even existed when I wrote the story; I'm not into video games. But the parallels are cool!
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **~ MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ~**

**Author's Note:**

> Canonical references to Tony Stark show the usual range of variation for comic book characters, so I take what I need and fake the rest.
> 
> This entry cites [Tony's entry into Stark Industries at 21](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0020749/bio).
> 
> Here is a reference to him [making his first circuit board at 4 and his first engine at 6](http://theavengersyo.weebly.com/anthony-stark.html).
> 
> An admissions officer at MIT describes the tradition of [the Brass Rat ring](http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/the_years_of_the_rat) and [Tony wearing it on film](http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/iron_man_mit_87). Tony also talks about a [Spring Break trip with Rhodey in 1987](http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/iron_man_mit_87), placing both of them at college together. There is some disagreement about [Tony's year of graduation and nature of degrees](https://slice.mit.edu/2013/05/10/who-is-iron-man/), although _Iron Man 1_ mentions a [Ph.D. in Physics](http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/35658/tony-starks-phd-field-subject). Some of [Tony's college shenanigans came from this piece](https://slice.mit.edu/2013/05/10/who-is-iron-man/). Lots of people [have memories of him](http://www.boston.com/ae/radio/blog/2013/05/bostonians_sharing_their_memories_of_mit_class_of_87_grad_tony_stark.html).  
> [](http://www.popimage.com/content/viewnews.cgi?newsid1263950725,8686,)  
>  This _War Machine_ reference mentions Howard Stark's line "Stark men are made of iron."
> 
> [This is the MIT schedule](http://web.mit.edu/registrar/calendar/ACug.pdf).
> 
> LIFC Chronology  
> In 1985, Tony enters MIT at age 14. In 1987, Tony goes on a spring break trip with Rhodey. Tony gets his undergraduate degree in engineering from MIT in early June of 1987, when he is 16. He gets two master's degrees in engineering from MIT in early June of 1990, when he is 19. (Since MIT only offers one degree in engineering -- the practical Master of Engineering -- logically the other must be the Master of Science which focuses on theory and research.) Tony goes on to earn doctorates in engineering physics and artificial intelligence.
> 
> [Blue Curaçao](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cura%C3%A7ao_\(liqueur\)) is an alcoholic beverage.
> 
> [Museum Village](http://museumvillage.org/) in [Monroe, NY](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe,_New_York) has a [blacksmith shop](http://museumvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/blacksmith-600x337.jpg) among [other attractions](http://museumvillage.org/our-village/village-tour/).
> 
> This is one example of a [ceramic badge](https://41.media.tumblr.com/f82b2ab89405c4c7d4f2006d401e68dc/tumblr_nrz7wh6Cdf1u3hu25o1_500.jpg). They used to be pretty common, and in fact you can still find these things at a historic faire, but very little of that has made it into photos or other references online.
> 
> [Blacksmithing](http://www.anvilfire.com/FAQs/getstart/) is a traditional craft that uses [a forge](http://www.stormthecastle.com/blacksmithing/what-is-a-blacksmith-forge.htm) to work iron and other metals. Among the most [famous tools](https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Down%27n%27dirty_Blacksmithing/Tools,_Materials,_and_Supplies) are [hammer and tongs](http://diyblacksmith.blogspot.com/2011/04/hammers-and-tongs.html).

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Cover art for "What Little Boys Are Made Of"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14770154) by [Lehorin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lehorin/pseuds/Lehorin)




End file.
